Wiring, installing, and assembling control and I/O systems is often expensive and time-consuming for end-users, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), panel builders, system integrators, and others, Opto 22 explains. Installers also must be careful to avoid mixing terminations, particularly in cases where several hundred devices terminate in a single cabinet, the company says, which is why it created the Snap Tex line—to significantly reduce the time, expense, and complexity associated with field instrumentation wiring and control cabinet assembly.

Opto 22 says:-Snap Tex cables are 6 ft (1.8 m) long jacketed, pre-wired cables that provide neat, bundled connections from analog and digital I/O modules to field devices, terminal strips, and breakout boards. Snap Tex cables snap neatly into the tops of Snap I/O modules and terminate with color-coded flying leads, pre-stripped and tipped, ready for wiring. By providing snap-in, easy-to-trace wiring from the module to the device, Snap-Tex cables reduce wiring mistakes, protect terminal connections from dust and jarring, and also speed and simplify initial wiring, maintenance, and replacement. Three versions of Snap Tex cables are available, varying based on the internal bus connections required by the application. Customers have a choice of cables with even-numbered terminals commoned (Snap-Tex-CBE6), odd-numbered terminals commoned (Snap-Tex-CBO6), or with wiring straight through (Snap-Tex-CBS6).-New breakout boards : The Snap-Tex-32 is a simple 32-channel breakout board with straight-through connections, designed primarily for use with Snap Tex cables and Snap analog or digital I/O modules. The Snap-Tex-FB16-H and Snap-Tex-FB16-L breakout boards offer 16-channel terminations and provide a fuse and a fuse-blown indicator for each channel. With the use of an external power supply, these breakout boards also bus power to loads. The Snap-Tex-F16-H facilitates 120-240 V, and the Snap-Tex-F16-L works with 12-24 V. These breakout boards are used for digital inputs and outputs. The Snap-Tex-MR10-16 and Snap-Tex-MR10-4 breakout boards are designed for high-current output switching. These boards feature mechanical relays that switch up to 10 amps per channel, expanding the switching ability of standard Snap I/O modules by 13 times. These boards include on/off indicators for each channel, and each can be wired as normally closed or normally open.-Wiring and accessories : Wiring harnesses (used for connecting field devices to high-density Snap I/O modules), jumper connection straps (used with digital I/O modules), DIN-rail mounting kits, module removal tools, and other previously available accessories are moved under the Snap Tex line to help customers find the right parts for wiring and installation.-Pricing, as of July 1 introduction and availability: The Snap-Tex-CBE6, Snap-Tex-CBO6, and Snap-Tex-CBS6 terminal extender cables are priced at $38 each. The Snap-Tex-32 breakout board is priced at $90. The Snap-Tex-FB16-H and Snap-Tex-FB16-L breakout boards are priced at $105. The Snap-Tex-MR10-16 breakout board is priced at $335. The Snap-Tex-MR10-4 breakout board is priced at $140. All cables, breakout boards and other Snap Tex mounting and wiring accessories are available now from the Opto 22 Website and through a global network of authorized Opto 22 distributors.The new Snap Tex product line is “another example of our product research and development division responding to the stated needs of our customers,” says Mark Engman, Opto 22 president and CEO. “Many of our customers have expressed a desire for quicker, easier ways to mount and wire their I/O. Ultimately, Snap Tex, like all of our other product lines, is meant to provide the components, tools, and methods customers need to get their projects done faster, simpler, and in the manner they’re most comfortable with.”– Edited by Mark T. Hoske , editor in chiefControl Engineering News DeskRegister here and scroll down to select your choice of eNewsletters free .

Annual Salary Survey

Before the calendar turned, 2016 already had the makings of a pivotal year for manufacturing, and for the world.

There were the big events for the year, including the United States as Partner Country at Hannover Messe in April and the 2016 International Manufacturing Technology Show in Chicago in September. There's also the matter of the U.S. presidential elections in November, which promise to shape policy in manufacturing for years to come.

But the year started with global economic turmoil, as a slowdown in Chinese manufacturing triggered a worldwide stock hiccup that sent values plummeting. The continued plunge in world oil prices has resulted in a slowdown in exploration and, by extension, the manufacture of exploration equipment.